Early in the morning the chief priests immediately came to a decision with the leaders and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. The whole Jewish council decided to tie Jesus up, lead him away, and hand him over to Pilate.
Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, I am,” Jesus answered him.

The chief priests were accusing him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, “Don’t you have any answer? Look how many accusations they’re bringing against you!”

But Jesus no longer answered anything, so Pilate was surprised. (‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭1-5‬ GW)

When you or I are accused by others, our first instinct is to defend ourselves. We'll protest our innocence, even when we are in the wrong. Our natural response is to justify ourselves, often at the expense of others.

Jesus, the only genuinely innocent man, doesn't defend Himself, though falsely accused. He admits who He is, but doesn't answer His accusers' taunts. Why didn't He answer when He was falsely accused?

He is our honest substitute, who exchanged His innocence for our guilt. He made a way for us to follow. When offering Himself up to reconcile humanity to God, He first laid aside any effort to defend Himself. He is our supreme example of true humility and honesty.